I personally think they should rank higher based on cost. How many of us are buying friends or family members laptops and flat screen tv's? I don't know about you guys but I don't spend $1k+ on presents on people outside of my household but I will spend a hundo and that is about what it costs to get a decent satellite radio setup at this point. Satrad really is the perfect gift and I am not saying that because I run this site... it just is what it is.

October 31, 2008
Satellite radio: More interesting, more complicated
The merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio has started to bear fruit.

Subscribers to each service can now add a select group of channels from the other (called Best of Sirius and Best of XM) for about $4 more per month, which brings the total monthly cost to $16.99. While the selections are limited to a handful of channels that may not suit everyone's taste, Sirius XM Radio says that more new packages are on the way, although it's not yet clear how many of those will graft channels from one service onto the other.

For XM subscribers, the Best of Sirius package available now adds two full-time Howard Stern channels, NASCAR races and shows, NFL games, Martha Stewart Living, and Playboy. For Sirius, subscribers, the Best of XM adds Oprah and Friends, NBA games, the Virus (which includes Opie and Anthony), and NHL games, the PGA Tour, College Sports, and XM Public Radio.

Both services now also offer various packages of their own, such as "mostly music," "news sports and talk," for $9.99 per month. Sirius offers an a la carte package, starting at $6.99 per month, which lets you choose 50 channels (this requires a la carte-capable receiver, such as the Starmate 5 radio and vehicle kit, $130.)

Even with these new offerings, there is still no radio on the market capable of receiving both services in their entirety and there probably won't be anytime soon. As a condition of receiving approval for their merger last summer, XM and Sirius agreed to make it possible to produce such an interoperable radio by next summer.

For now, if you're looking for a satellite radio receiver, you'll be limited to models that access just one service, with the option to add a few channels from the other service for a few dollars more per month. Be sure to check out our Guide to Mobile Electronics for more on audio, video, and GPS systems for your car.

óJeff Fox

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Please Report Santa Claus Sightings ASAP

That is: I know we are all keeping our eyes peeled for a Holiday Product Roll Out. Has anyone seen anything yet? I haven't, but I have only been checking my local radio Shack store. All they have are a few old units. IIRC, October 6 is the date we are measuring from. Will Cramercrook be correct in his earlier pronouncement that we have missed the Holiday retail sales season? I hope not.

With this portable XM product, the ala carte units and a new display center for retail markets, SIRI SHOULD not miss this retail consumer opportunity. SIRI makes a quality gift that is cheaper than many phones, ipods, laptops and other high tech gifts. Karmazin needs to get on the ball. What is the hold up? Seriously. Does anyone know what the hold up is?